120. Reading // Reading Habits Tag

The wonderful Katie from IntoTheBookCase tagged me in this fun #bookbloggers Reading Habits tag, so I just had to give it a whirl. I love reading and it takes up a lot of my time (not that I'm complaining!).  I occasionally post book reviews too, so feel free to check those out too; Reconstructing Amelia, Half of a Yellow Sun and The Book Thief. 

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

I'm happy to read wherever I am, but when I'm at home I like to snuggle up in bed or curl up on the sofa. It has to be somewhere comfortable where I can happily relax for hours.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I never use bookmarks, I'm one of those people who folds the corner over, however, when I was younger I used to love bookmarks and even spent my pocket money on them (book-worm from a young age!)

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter or certain number of pages?

I prefer to finish a chapter before stopping, as otherwise I find myself a little bit lost when I go back to reading. If I haven't got time to make it to the end of the chapter, I'll just wait until the end of the paragraph instead. 

Do you eat or drink while reading?

I often read on my lunch break at work so eating & reading have to work together for me! As you might imagine, this frequently ends with my book, clothes or face splattered in food!

Do you watch TV or listen to music while reading?

I can't watch TV whilst reading, to be honest, I don't understand how anybody could?! When I'm at Shane's and he's playing on his XBOX or watching something on the TV whilst I read, I just put some music on, but something relaxing so that I can keep my mind on the book.

One book at a time or several at once?

I can never read more than one book at once. I remember doing my English Literature AS Levels and not being able to read anything for pleasure, because I was always studying a book for school instead, and since then I've struggled to read more than one at a time, but I prefer it that way. I like to be able to completely focus on one set of characters and one story.

Reading at home or everywhere?

I do most of my reading at home, but I also read on my lunchbreak, when travelling and sometimes if I just fancy a bit of downtime out of the house, I'll head to Costa and read my book; just me, a cuppa and a good book.

Reading out loud or silently in your head?

In my head, always.

Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?

I'm so bad for reading ahead! If I'm really enjoying a book, I always want to know how it ends and I have to physically restrain myself from reading the last few pages or googling it! If I'm finding a section a bit tiresome, I'll often skip a page or two, too.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

Nothing I own ever looks new for long! After carrying a book around in my bag, everyday for a week, my books are usually covered in make-up, food and God knows what else! 

Do you write in your books?

I don't think I ever write in books, apart from study books. If I find a quote I love, I just put a sticky note in there or fold the page over.

I'm fairly new to the #bookbloggers community, so I don't know many book bloggers to nominate, but if you'd like to do this tag then feel free, just let me know!

88. Beauty // The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag

The gorgeous Liberty over at Liberty Loves Make Up was kind enough to tag me in this very fun beauty bloggers tag. The tag was created by The Beau Bow! At the end of the post I'll be tagging three of my favourite beauty bloggers, so keep your eyes peeled!

Rules

1. You must copy and paste these 'rules' onto your post when you write it.

2. You must state that this tag was created by 'The Beau Bow'

3. You must thank the person who tagged you at the start of your post, and at the end state who you tag and remember to let them know.

4. Title 'The Procrastinating Beauty Blogger Tag'

Name a beauty regime that you rarely do...

Exfoliating and moisturising! I do remember to moisturise my face and neck most days, but I can hardly ever be bothered to moisturise my whole body... it just takes so long! Again, I exfoliate my face with face scrubs and washes but never my body. I guess I'm just too lazy!

Is washing your make-up brushes something that you do regularly?

I'll be totally honest here; no. I tried recently to wash my foundation brush with baby shampoo but it didn't work at all, so I'm not sure where I went wrong with that! As for eye shadows and the like, I have a few different brushes so as long as I use certain brushes for lights and others for darker shades, I'm okay!

How long will you last with chipped nail polish?

Urgh, I hate it. That's not to say that you won't see me wandering around with the worst chipped nails on the planet, because you will! But as soon as I see one little chip, I try my hardest to pick it all off. It's disgusting; there's always a trail of little bits of dried up nail polish behind me, when I've been picking at it! I normally have to wait until the weekend, when I have a bit more free-time, to completely remove it though.

How long will you put off buying/replacing a beauty product, even if you need to?

I very rarely run out of beauty products as I tend to go out and get replacements just before they're all used up, especially with foundation and powder as I can't live without them. Seriously, I couldn't even leave the house! When it comes to products like blusher, eye-shadows or kohl liner, I could probably leave it a couple of weeks.

What is your worst beauty habit?

I draw my eye-brows on with a pencil, and I use face wipes... both of which, I believe, are frowned upon by the serious beauty bloggers! I'm hoping to buy myself some proper eye-brow shaping products next month, and I'm also toning it down on the face wipes now that I'm using Senzimi cleanser daily.

Name something non-beauty related that you put off doing all the time...

Oh my God, I could be here all day! I guess the main thing that I put off, or least like doing, is the dishes! I absolutely detest washing dishes. At home, we have a dishwasher which isn't so bad, but at S's there isn't one which means one of us always has to do the dishes! Thankfully, I tend to do the cooking and S will do the dishes in return, so it's usually not so bad.

When going out somewhere, do you leave getting ready until the last minute?

It depends where I'm going but, as a rule, definitely not. I suffer from quite bad anxiety, which mainly rears it's ugly head when I have to leave the house or go somewhere that I'm not familiar with, or with people who I don't feel comfortable around. So, for me, getting ready is a calming process where I can get my thoughts together and really prepare myself, mentally, physically and emotionally, for what's coming. For those reasons, I like to give myself plenty of time to get ready.

Can you commit to spending bans?

For me, a spending ban is pretty tricky but I can manage to cut down on clothes and make-up fairly easily, it's the little things like snacks, DVDs and bottles of wine that I struggle with! 

How organised is your make-up and nail polish collection?

All of my make-up is squished into one make-up bag that I carry with me everyday, as I split my time between my family home and S's house, so it's not very organised at all - but at least it's all together! The products that I don't use very often are stored in a box in my cupboard, or in a little pot on my chest of drawers. My nail polishes are all lined up next to my television so they're easy to find, but not organised in any special way! I am hoping to get more organised with my products very soon.

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers, I'm going to tag:

Imogen at Bluebird and the Robin

Ella at Hello Ella

Anna at Away with the Fairies

81. Lifestyle // The First Tag

The beautiful, inspirational, LOVELY Imogen (seriously, I could go on all day!) from The Bluebird & The Robin was kind enough to tag me in this wonderful 'The First Tag'-tag... I never know how I'm meant to word that but, hey, who cares?! IT'S A TAG POST. And a nostalgic one...

First Best Friend

When I was younger, I used to change my best friend every. single. week. I'm still indecisive (not with friends so much now!) but it's definitely a trait that has stayed with me forever. I remember my first group of best friends; Soph, Arnia and Megan. We all went to the same primary school and we would spend our breaks together; playing football (I know - can you imagine me playing football?! Seriously though, it's true - there's a photo and everything), making daisy chains on the playing field or making up stories; I once convinced everyone that Michael Owen was my dad, and that my mum was a model... I sound like Tracy Beaker! Vivid imagination, obviously. I remember going round to Arnia's farm and climbing up the silo and leaning right over the edge, until her dad came over and shouted at us, I remember walking in on Soph's mum on the toilet and pulling a radiator off the wall by swinging off it... Megan and I went to Disneyland Paris and I spewed as soon as I got there. Why is it that I only remember the bad/embarrassing things?! 

First Kiss

I am cringing so hard. I didn't have my first kiss - well, what I'd count as a kiss (and by that I mean a hormonal, teenage sloppy snog with lots of teeth and saliva) - until I was fifteen. Drunk, in a tent, with a boy who had a girlfriend. *hangs head in shame* Don't judge.

First Concert

I was lucky enough to go to quite a few concerts when I was younger! I remember going to see STEPS with Megan (mentioned above) and I bought these amazing/hideous gold, shiny trousers which I thought were just the BEST, to wear to the concert. I remember afterwards when I was in that same shop where I bought the trousers from, and a girl said "oh my god!! they are disgusting!!" about the trousers. I never wore them again. Anyway, I'm digressing... I also went to see S Club 7. TWICE. I know, I know, I was privileged  I don't remember much about any of the concerts though, probably because I would have been far too short to see anything... and probably far too scared of the flashing lights, the screaming and the thousands of people, to enjoy it.

First Celeb Crush

Ben out of A1. Those curtains, those big eyes, that...? Well, I have no idea to be honest. For some reason, I thought he was the most beautiful creature I'd ever set eyes on (when I was about ten). I remember he was on Big Brother (or something?) a few years ago, and I actually *blushes* still had a little bit of a soft spot for him then. Over the years I have also been madly in love with almost every character off Grange Hill (back in the day), Paul out of S Club 7, Calvin from S Club Juniors and Lee out of STEPS. I had the best taste, ever.

First Job

I always find it quite hard to remember my first job as I've had quite a few in the last 6 years! But I think it was either washing dishes at a local hotel, or - well - washing dishes at a pub on a Sunday. Needless to say, I quit each of them after about two shifts as I couldn't stand the pressure. Just kidding, I just hated the pruney-hand-effect.

First Phone

Another of my little fibs; I used to always borrow my mum's phone - one of those old Nokia's that you could only either text, call or play Snake on - and text my friends from it, telling them it was my phone. It was all going swimmingly; everyone believed I had a phone, just like everybody else, until I arranged to meet one of my friends at the pool and she rang my *cough* my mum's *cough* phone on her way to meet me, only to have my mum answer and inform her that actually this is her phone, not her daughters. Illusion = shattered. In all honesty, I don't remember when I got my first phone, but at least I remember when I first pretended to have one.

First Music I Bought

THIS. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68ugkg9RePc

First Tweet

I've tweeted so much that I can seriously not go through all my tweets to find my first one but... I think it was something about having a shower? #YOLO

First Make Up

I have to say, for this one, I have absolutely no idea. I don't even remember when I started wearing make-up but I think it was probably when I was about 11 or 12 and I went through a craze of wearing bright blue eye shadow (WITH NO MASCARA. OMG. WHAT WAS I THINKING?!) 

First Word

Much like Imogen, I asked my mum and she pondered it for a moment and then shrugged, "I really don't know." Thanks mum... I presume it was something incredibly mundane like 'mum' or 'dad,' otherwise I'm sure she would of remembered...

First Pet

Oh God, we've had so many pets. Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, hamsters, lizards, rabbits, goldfish! When I was really young we had two gorgeous cats, Bailey (named after my mum's favourite drink) and Benson (named after my dad's favourite brand of cigarettes, rock and roll bitchezzzz), and they're the first pets I really remember. We also had a cat called Cougar but I don't remember if that was before or after?! My memory is honestly horrific. I should never have agreed to do this post. We also had a menagerie of goldfish (mainly sourced from fun fairs), the most notable (meaning he probably lasted for more than a day) being Rainbow. Imaginative as ever!

Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed my rather rambly (and rubbish, sorry) attempt at The First Tag. If you want to have a go at creating a (much) better post, go ahead! But for now I'm going to tag three of my favourite bloggers:

Magdalena
Dani
Cat